


The First Rule of Cry Club

by Rumpleteazer



Category: LazyTown
Genre: Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Slash, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-09
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-23 05:12:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9642071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rumpleteazer/pseuds/Rumpleteazer
Summary: Sometimes you nearly die and have to cry it out with your nemesis.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Talax](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talax/gifts).



> This probably wouldn't have been written without Talax's encouragement, so this is for you.  
> Scenario and some dialogue from the LazyTown episode Friends Forever.

_Someone is in trouble!_  
Sportacus raced out onto the airship's open door and called for his telescope. He swiftly located the children, trapped in what could only be one of Robbie's contraptions. He stood up. Was _that_ how Robbie had "won" the ticket to his ship? He should have been suspicious before now - Robbie was _afraid_ of _heights_ \- but he had been too excited to show his friend around, and he always believed in giving people the benefit of the doubt. Before Sportacus could be properly disappointed the airship began rocking violently. Now he was…falling?  
He was _falling._  
His instincts kicked in and he managed to grab a metal bar on the tail of the ship. Without thinking he caught his telescope in his other hand.  
Now he was hanging.  
Hanging was better than falling.   
Sportacus took a deep, steadying breath. He could handle this. He just had to pull himself up and climb over to the door, or at least below the ladder so he could call it down...  
A robotic voice - _his ship_ \- rang out, interrupting his train of thought.

**Air Supply: 10 Minutes**

That. Was not good. Now he had to hurry. He tried again to pull himself up on the bar one-handed. He still had to save the kids from whatever Robbie had built and… _Robbie! Robbie was still in the ship! Maybe, just maybe, he could-_  
Robbie jumped out of the airship, parachute unfurling behind him much too soon and catching on the open door. Robbie looked down and muttered something inaudible over the wind. Then he froze, lifted his head, and slowly turned to look at Sportacus. They stared at each other across the gap.  
"...Oh. Uh. Hi there. Just...hanging around?" Robbie waved weakly.  
Sportacus's thoughts ceased being words.  
The wind became a roar drowning out all else.  
Vaguely Sportacus noticed he was still holding his telescope, and he attempted to put it in his backpack.  
His hand began to slip from the bar, abruptly bringing him back to himself and the current situation. He let go of the telescope in favor of grasping the ship with both hands.

**Air Supply: 5 Minutes**

The ship rocked again as Sportacus adjusted his hold, the combined movement jostling his telescope free and sending it tumbling to the ground.  
As if to compensate for his earlier lapse, he was now hyper aware of his surroundings. The wind, the steady descent of the airship, Robbie, the kids.  
He thought he heard the kids yelling from below.  
Deep breath. _Focus._  
He tightened his grip on the bar. Maybe he could swing a leg up on it and walk across? _Yes!_  
He had just managed to stand on the bar, bracing himself against the side of the airship, when suddenly something came flying towards him. Sportacus leaned forward slightly to snag it out of the air, then fell back against the ship to inspect the object. It was the rope with beanbags tied on each end that Stephanie showed him earlier. This was _just_ what he needed!  
Hastily he uncoiled the rope, took aim, and threw. One beanbag sailed across the gap and caught the door perfectly. Sportacus wrapped the other beanbag around the bar he was standing on and gave the rope a tug. _This was as secure as it was going to get._ Sportacus pushed the worry out of his mind and jumped, catching the rope in both hands.  
"Don't _do_ that!" Robbie yelled frantically.  
As if on cue, Sportacus felt the beanbag he had tied to the bar come loose. All he could do was hang on tight as the rope swung wildly below the open door to his ship. For a dizzying moment the whole world became a blur.  
Robbie yelled something indistinct.  
Sportacus began climbing up as soon as the rope slowed enough for him to see straight.

**Thirty Seconds**

Spartacus slipped.  
And slipped again.  
An apple hurtled towards him.  
He barely managed to catch it, then risked a glance downwards at the source.  
"Thanks!" He called to Stephanie, who was standing by one of her games and holding a large mallet.  
Sportacus took a larger bite of the apple than usual, and the feeling of relief was almost as strong as the energy that surged through him.

**Air Supply Empty in 10 Seconds**

He began climbing again, faster now.  
"Are you coming up? Yes! He's gonna save me!" Robbie exclaimed, looking giddy.

**...5…**

"Here!" Sportacus handed the apple to Robbie as he passed by, deciding he also needed the energy. He didn't check if Robbie ate it, but he hoped he would just this once.

**Warning: Air Supply Empty  
Warning: Falling**

Sportacus reached the door and pulled himself into the ship. He made his way with difficulty to the hand crank and closed the air release vent, stopping the ship from rocking.  
 _Now to re-inflate it._  
He ran to the pump.

**Air Supply Stabilized**

Sportacus landed on the floor. The process of re-inflating his ship, bouncing on a large button that served as a pump, was tricky when the ship was unstable from air loss. Maybe he’d have to rethink that when he could think again.  
He called back to Robbie. "Hold on tight!”  
Sportacus made his way to the driver's seat; the ship was still dangerously close to town hall.  
He maneuvered it away with no problems.  
"I'm safe!" Robbie exclaimed.  
The kids were cheering.  
 _Good!_ Now all Sportacus had to do was pull Robbie back into the ship and get them both to the ground.  
He heard cloth tearing.  
His heart stopped.  
Robbie started _screaming._  
Sportacus buckled his seatbelt and detached the plane from the airship.  
He kept an eye on Robbie as he steered the plane rapidly towards the ground.  
 _It's not fast enough, Robbie's falling too quickly, the plane won't reach in time…_  
Robbie landed in the trap he'd built for the children.  
 _No_  
Sportacus landed his plane too many seconds later, flipped out of it, and started running.  
 _No, nonono, **please…**_  
He reached the strange machine just as Robbie stood up, parachute covering his face.  
Sportacus grabbed on to the wildly shaking contraption and tried to hold it still. He had to make sure Robbie was okay. He had to get it to _stop._  
"I can't stop it!" He directed the plea at the children, _hoping_ they had noticed how Robbie turned the thing on in the first place.  
"You have to use the lever!" Ziggy shouted in reply, pointing towards an object on the ground.  
Sportacus shot him a thankful look then dove for the lever, quickly determined where to attach it, and finally turned the machine off.  
"Is he okay?" Stephanie asked, already running over with the other kids.  
"Are you okay?" Sportacus echoed, trying to check Robbie for injuries from two feet away.  
Robbie successfully freed his head from the parachute, removing his helmet with it.  
" _Robbie Rotten_ ," the kids exclaimed as if this was any other day, any other scheme.  
Sportacus managed to huff out a sigh, not quite of relief. He crossed his arms, just to give them something to do.  
"This was fun!" Robbie yelled, too forcefully.  
Sportacus could only gape at him, mind completely blank.  
Oh, the kids were laughing at something. Maybe he should too.  
He turned towards them and smiled, a bit too wide. "Guys, you saved _me_ this time! Thanks!" It was a poor attempt at his usual cheeriness. He hoped the kids didn't notice. He really _was_ grateful.  
"Yeah, but _Stephanie_ saved _all_ of us!" Trixie piped up.  
 _That's a lot of responsibility for a 9-year-old._  
Stephanie grinned at Sportacus and shrugged. "What are friends for?" She hopped up and began singing Bing Bang.  
 _It's...time to dance? Right._  
Sportacus joined her mechanically, adding extra flips to use up the remaining adrenaline. He kept glancing back at Robbie, only relaxing slightly when he saw him climb out of the ride and shakily stalk towards his home.  
The song ended and the kids ran off to do - something. Sportacus waved, still smiling too wide, as they all disappeared around the corner. Stephanie was last, and handed him his telescope with an odd look before energetically waving goodbye as usual.  
The moment Stephanie was out of sight Sportacus felt the weight of the day come crashing around him, almost like a physical force. Keeping his composure was becoming increasingly difficult; he _really_ needed to sit down for a while and collect himself. He extended an arm toward his airship to call for the ladder, then froze. Suddenly he remembered wind rushing past him, rope slipping from his hands, his airship's AI announcing a countdown…  
His crystal went off.  
 _Someone is in trouble!_  
Sportacus dropped his arm and started moving, crystal guiding him to Robbie's billboard.  
Deep breaths.  
He hoped he wasn't visibly shaking.


	2. Chapter 2

Robbie Rotten was trapped in his own lair entrance. It was just his luck to get his parachute caught on something twice in one day.  
 _No, don't think about earlier._ Passing out was _not_ going to help his current situation. This wasn't the same as a few minutes ago - _oh god it was only a few minutes ago_ \- he was in his lair, and the ground was barely two feet below him. He just had to unbuckle the parachute straps and then he could collapse in his chair for a few days. A week. At _least._  
His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar whooshing sound. Someone was entering his lair - by a different tube, thankfully - and he didn't have to guess who.  
"Robbie, are you okay? My crystal-" Sportacus sounded more strained than usual.  
Robbie cut him off. "I know why you're here, Sportaflop, just get me down." He had intended that to sound much more annoyed and far less tired. Oh well.  
Sportacus carefully undid the parachute harness in silence and gently stood Robbie on the floor.  
Robbie remained standing for approximately two seconds before he felt himself sway. He reached for the wall and leaned back against it, then promptly began to slide down it.  
"Robbie!"  
Sportacus grabbed his arm as if to steady him, but Robbie had no more will to remain upright. Much to his surprise, Sportacus wasn't attempting to pull him to his feet. In fact, it felt like Robbie was tugging the elf down with him.  
They hit the ground together. Sportacus didn’t let go of his arm.  
They sat for a minute in near silence, the only sounds the usual ambience of his lair and their own unsteady breathing. Robbie flung one arm dramatically across his eyes. The fluorescent lights of his lair were so _bright_ suddenly.  
"A-are you okay?" came a quiet inquiry, prompted by the sudden movement.  
Sportacus was stuttering? That was new. Robbie wrenched an eye open to really _look_ at Sportacus. He looked...different. Not cheerful. The opposite, in fact. "...Are _you?_ " Robbie asked carefully.  
Sportacus started sobbing.  
He crumpled forward, still clutching Robbie's arm as if he would disappear if he let go.  
Robbie was completely at a loss for what to do. _Something_ , probably. He hesitantly moved his hand away from his face and put it awkwardly on Sportacus's shoulder.  
Sportacus's whole body shook with a sob, and Robbie pulled his hand back reflexively. He felt useless. The sleeve of his cursed skydiver costume was beginning to soak through.  
Sportacus squeezed his arm tighter.  
" _Ow_ ," Robbie said involuntarily, startling the elf into dropping his arm.  
Sportacus straightened to look at Robbie, eyes wide and tears still streaming down his face. He began speaking frantically, "Did-did that hurt? Are you okay? Did you injure your arm when you landed?"  
Robbie stared, trying to resolve the sudden onslaught of sound into words. Questions. Sportacus was asking him questions. _He's still talking_.  
"Are you okay, Robbie? Please answer me!" His hands hovered between them, begging to resume contact.  
Robbie raised his voice a fraction to ensure Sportacus would hear. " _Yes_ , yes, I'm _fine_. Stop _asking_." The elf's panic appeared to be rubbing off on him.  
Sportacus didn't seem reassured. "You fell from the _airship_ ," he whispered, almost to himself.  
Robbie's breath caught in his throat. _He fell out of the airship_.  
"You _fell_ and I didn't _catch_ you and I'm _so sorry_ ," Sportacus was sobbing again, covering his face with his hands.  
The elf's voice became distant as Robbie's thoughts spiraled to a horrifying conclusion.   
He fell out of the airship.  
He _tossed_ Sportacus from the airship.  
He nearly _killed_ himself.  
He nearly _killed Sportacus_.  
Robbie swallowed hard and turned to the elf, mind drowning in white noise. "Sportacus, I..." he began hollowly.  
Sportacus paused mid-apology and looked up at the sound of his proper name.  
Robbie attempted to meet his gaze, vision rapidly blurring. "... _I almost killed us both_."  
Sportacus surged forward and pulled Robbie into a hug, clinging to him almost desperately.  
Robbie returned the hug just as tightly, his own sobs now joining the elf's.  
"I-I didn't _mean_...I didn't _want_..." Robbie tried helplessly, unable to catch a breath to speak.  
 _He nearly killed them both._  
Robbie grasped handfuls of Sportacus's shirt in an attempt to reassure himself they were both still _alive_ and _on the ground_. He wasn't sure which one of them was trembling.  
" _Robbie_ , Robbie, I'm... _we're_ still here. It's okay," Sportacus was saying, trying to be comforting even through his own tears. His hand began rubbing circles on Robbie's back.  
 _How could it be okay?_  
"I _threw you_ from the _airship_. I didn't even _think_..." An avalanche of words were tumbling from him as he tried to find the right ones. "You could have died! I don't want you _dead_ , I want-" What _did_ he want? What had he _done?_  
"Robbie, you didn't...We're both still _alive_." Sportacus continued, who he was trying to reassure now unclear.  
“ _I'm sorry_ ," Robbie finally managed, burying his face in Sportacus's shoulder.  
Sportacus's hold tightened almost imperceptibly. "Robbie…"  
“ _I'm sorry_." It didn't feel like enough. _It could never be enough._  
Robbie was overcome with sobs, wishing he could say something, anything, better than simply _I’m sorry_.  
Sportacus kept rubbing his back, murmuring generic calming phrases, until, " _Robbie_ , I forgive you."  
The words hung in the air as Robbie processed them, before sputtering, " _How could you possibly_ -"  
Sportacus spoke kindly but firmly. "Yes, you...put us in danger, but you realized your mistake and apologized."   
"But I..." Robbie interrupted desperately. Didn’t the elf see this was _different_ from when the children ate too much candy or claimed public sports fields as their own?  
" _I forgive you_ , Robbie." Sportacus asserted, serious tone only slightly undermined by how weak his voice was from crying. "I’m sorry too."  
Robbie blinked. Sportacus had been apologizing a lot earlier, hadn’t he? Robbie couldn’t imagine _why_. "For _what?_ "  
Sportacus took a deep, shaky breath. "I fell, but I caught part of the ship. I'm alright. But _you_ fell too, and I know you're also fine, thank goodness, but I _didn't catch_ you," Sportacus shuddered, hand on Robbie's back stilling uncertainly. "...Do you forgive _me?_ "  
Robbie was frozen in disbelief. _How could the elf think those things were remotely equivalent?_ Robbie almost wanted to laugh. He choked out a sob instead. After a moment, he lifted his head slightly from Sportacus's shoulder to respond. " _I brought that on myself_ , of _course_ I forgive you."  
Sportacus's whole body seemed to relax at that, leaving Robbie struggling to support them both. The only things letting him know the elf was still _conscious_ were occasional, breathy sobs and the hand that had resumed rubbing his back.  
Robbie's thoughts spun around and tangled with Sportacus’s words. He'd almost killed them both today. He'd almost _killed_ them, but he didn't. He was in his lair, on the ground, and Sportacus's tears were steadily dampening his shoulder. They were still alive.  
" _We're alive_ ," Robbie breathed.  
"We're alive," Sportacus echoed.  
They held that position for a while, and Robbie was slowly beginning to calm down. Or, more likely, he was just too exhausted to cry so heavily anymore.  
He suddenly became aware of _just how long_ he'd been holding on to Sportacus. The prolonged human contact was starting to make him uncomfortable. That, and Sportacus's weird, silver, _lumpy_ costume accents were probably leaving imprints in his face by now. He must have shifted unconsciously, because Sportacus was pulling away.  
Sportacus’s hand lingered on Robbie's arm before he stood up and did a few stretches, probably anxious to move again.  
Robbie slumped back against the wall, wondering how the elf had any energy _left_ for nervous pacing after this day. He didn’t focus on how _cold_ he suddenly felt.  
In contrast, Sportacus was growing more agitated. He had even resumed his earlier rambling, although now he sounded more frustrated than distraught. "We were hanging from the airship and I couldn't do anything; I could barely hold on! I didn't even have any sportscandy! Robbie, the _kids_ had to save us! And Stephanie saved all the others _by herself_ first! I'm proud of her, I really am, but she's _only nine_ , she shouldn't have to worry about... about..." He stopped short. "What if this happens again?" His pacing quickened.  
Robbie was only half-listening, but Sportacus wasn’t really talking to him anyway. Still, something the elf said had started gears turning in his mind.  
Sportacus had switched to push-ups. _Normal, two-handed push-ups_. "I never expected to... I wasn't _prepared_ , I don't - I don't have anything I could call from the ship to catch me, or _anyone!_ Not even a net! I should at least have a _net_..."  
 _Oh_ , thought Robbie, and then he had an idea. A _plan_. He rubbed a hand across his face in an attempt to clear his vision. _Ugh_ , he needed to re-apply his eye makeup. Later. First, he had to find some drafting paper and a pencil.  
The elf had gone silent. Robbie spared him a glance. This confirmed that Sportacus was still _awake_ and _in his lair_. He had, however, _stopped moving_ and stood up to watch Robbie curiously.  
"What are you doing?" Sportacus asked just as Robbie turned back to his search.  
Robbie waved an arm behind him, not meaning it to signify anything in particular.  
"Ah ha!" he exclaimed a moment later, unearthing some drafting paper and two pencils from under a work table. He stood back up, popping his back in the process.  
Sportacus winced at the sound.  
Robbie shoved a skein of fabric off the top of the work table and laid the paper down in its place. He turned back to face Sportacus, who was clearly itching to ask more questions, and suddenly felt nervous about what he was planning to suggest. He was the _villain_ what was he _doing_ with a plan like this? Then again they _had_ just spent the better part of an hour crying in each other's arms.  
Sportacus watched him patiently. Expectantly.  
This was ridiculous. Robbie cleared his throat. "We could always... _build_ something. To catch you."  
Sportacus's expression was one Robbie had never seen on the elf before. It was something similar to joy, but...softer.  
When Sportacus finally spoke he sounded much closer to his usual self. "Robbie, that's a _great_ idea!"  
Robbie half expected a backflip, but Sportacus simply _walked_ closer to him.  
Once Sportacus had reached the table he turned to Robbie and said, slightly quieter than his last outburst, "Thank you."  
"Yes. Well," Robbie wasn't sure how to respond.  
Sportacus spoke again instead. "Did you already have something in mind?"  
Robbie coughed. "Ah. Yes. My _first_ thought was 'parachute,' but," he trailed off, looking pointedly at the tattered cloth still stuck in his entrance and shuddering.  
Sportacus paled slightly and nodded in agreement.  
"So _then_ I thought 'grappling hook!'" Robbie concluded with a flair of his hand.  
Sportacus seemed amused by the gesture, then furrowed his brow in thought. "Where would I keep a grappling hook?"  
 _Good question._  
Robbie looked him over for a moment, calculating. "Your arm bracer," he said decisively. "Show it to me."  
Sportacus held his arm out.  
Robbie rolled his eyes. "Take it _off_ first, Sportaloon." He retrieved some measuring tape from next to his sewing machine. When he turned back Sportacus handed him his left arm bracer.  
Robbie turned the bracer over in his hands, inspecting every inch as he measured. He always wondered what those things were made of. Something light, yet strong. It didn’t _seem_ magic-infused… He could think about that when it was time for construction.  
Robbie finished writing the last measurement and began sketching. "Now this would be _easier_ if I knew how your _other_ tech worked, but I would rather not go back to the airship anytime soon."  
Sportacus hummed in either understanding or agreement. _Probably_ the former. Probably. "I could try to explain some of it," he offered.  
Robbie considered this for a moment, then nodded. "I suppose that could be... _useful_."  
The elf grinned.  
Sportacus's occasional feedback was, surprisingly, not _entirely_ unhelpful as Robbie drew out a few diagrams. He even suggested some plausible design variations for the traditional grappling hook.  
Some time later, Robbie decided he had enough ideas to begin building a prototype. As he started gathering wires and scrap metal - no iron, just in case - he noticed Sportacus was beginning to fade. Robbie looked at the clock. _8:05. Figures_. "Hey, why don't you...go home, or something. I have enough to work with for now." Robbie tried awkwardly.  
Sportacus sat up straighter and stifled a yawn. "I want to help," he said firmly.  
"...Fine," said Robbie, unimpressed.  
Sportacus's head hit the desk at exactly 8:08. Robbie rolled his eyes. Great. He shook the elf awake. " _At least_ go sleep in my _chair_ and not on the _table_. Where I'm trying to _work_."  
Robbie watched in shock as the elf stood with a murmur and shuffled across his lair. Sportacus was out like a light almost before he sat down.  
Robbie shook his head and turned back to his work, pretending not to think about the elf curled up in his favorite chair and gently snoring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! This is my first fic and it took a long time to write, so updates may be few and far-between. Ideally this will continue but I'm not sure if it will be this fic or a series of fics so I'm marking it complete for now.


End file.
